Charles H Chapman, my grandfather, was a pupil at Kendrick Boy's School in Reading, and trained first as an architectural draughtsman. He was a student at Reading College of Art.

He began sending his cartoons to London editors, and celebrated his 21st birthday by having a drawing accepted by a boys' magazine, 'the Captain'.

He developed a career as an illustrator of boy's magazines such as Magnet, Boy's Friend and Puck.

In 1911 he joined the staff of 'the Magnet' and formed a close relationship with the author of the Billy Bunter stories, Frank Richards, and illustrated many of his books until they ended in 1965.